Pearls and tears

I can still remember as a child viewing a TV documentary that showed pearl hunters in the Arabian Gulf diving for oysters, surfacing up with them, then opening them one by one to extract a beautiful iridescent pearl from the heart of a shell. The gemstone was destined to join other glowing ones to form strings of charming pendants, bracelets, rings or other jewellery to delicately adorn the necks and wrists of women.

These lovely images came back to my mind as I read the poetry collection “Dumou al-Mahar (Tears of the Oysters)” by Watani journalist Mervat Ayad, published by Zein publishing house in 95 medium-sized pages. The new book is on display in the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair which runs from 26 January to 7 February 2022.

Once I got the book, I could not wait to start reading it and savouring its poetry. I leafed through the pages, looking for the poem the writer had used to title her book. Ah, there it was: Tears of the oysters. “The tears of oysters glisten into pearls that adorn poignant hearts”.

How lovely an allegory! The poet depicted the pearls as tears shed by the oysters, fit to express the pain or grief poignantly concealed in women’s hearts.

Ms Ayad’s collection includes 15 compelling poems. It is a compulsion that comes from sublime words and expressions that tenderly reflect a gentle soul’s capacity to change an entire community. Our poet is no ordinary poet, she is a journalist who has felt the pulse of people and found that ordinary words fall short of reaching their hearts. In poetry, she reaches out to them, shooting at their hearts soft arrows of tender, meaningful messages.

In her poem titled “Apology”, the poet apologises to her son; I read it as an apology to an entire generation born in hard times of war, cruelty, and treachery; times when selfishness and hatred abound. Many are those who hate songs, hate joy, hate love, and love hatred. Freedom dies as a flower that withers away. The poet concludes her poem, however, by posing a question to younger generations: “Will goodness have the final say? Will love and beauty win?” The question exudes hope, and honours the capacity to triumph over hate and ugliness.

In “Flood of Words”, Ms Ayad says: “Words light the darkness and nourish the heart; pen and paper embrace through words.” The depiction of letters and words; pen, ink, and paper as lovers in an embrace endows the final product with meaning, rendering it a poetic song that comforts the soul.

On a positive note, Ms Ayad invites the reader to rejoice as long as the heart still beats with love and goodness, despite the hard times. The giving continues regardless of ups and downs; hearts of gold cannot rust.

A remark, however, on the illustrations of the poetic texts in the book. In my opinion, those illustrations are not compatible with the content, and do not match the author’s elegant meanings. I think that if Ms Ayad reprints her book, she might re-consider the illustrations so that they fit the delicacy of her words.

Reading “Tears of the Oysters” was for me a delightful experience that immersed me in pains and joys common to our human race. Ms Ayad’s words are sensitive and mindful; a reader feels background music tuned to the poetic verses. One hears at times the swishing sound of sea waves, the plaintive prolonged moans of pain, or the joyful buzz of the bee or butterfly as they fly from one spring flower to another.

At the end of her book, Ms Ayad concludes with the poem “My Last Message”. I do not wish it to be the last, rather I would like her to write more poetry. Her words are graceful and delicate; she has a high-sounding language. This should not be her last message, given that this is her first book. We are waiting for new creative works.

Mervat Ayad is a Watani journalist. She holds a Masters degree in family counseling from the Institute of Care and Education; a mini master degree in business administration and human development from the US Edmore University, as well as other diplomas in behaviour modification, psychological counseling, psychoanalysis, personality types, and emotional intelligence.